Barcelona Secures 5-2 Victory Over Basel with Strong Performances from Yamal and Bisiwu
Barcelona emerged victorious in a thrilling match against Basel on Sunday, winning 5-2 at St. Jakob’s Park. Lamine Yamal made headlines by scoring from the penalty spot in his first appearance since winning the World Cup with Spain, contributing to the team’s impressive scoreline.
Summer signing Jesse Bisiwu, aged 18, impressed fans with a late brace, marking his debut for Barcelona after joining from Club Brugge for €8 million ($9.2 million) last month. Bisiwu’s goals came in the final minutes of the game, both set up by Dani Olmo and Yamal.
The match saw a lively start, with Karim Adeyemi opening the scoring for Barcelona in the 34th minute, converting a pass from Raphinha. However, Basel’s 17-year-old Jean Doucouré equalized shortly before halftime with a well-placed shot from the edge of the box.
Following the break, Hamza Abdelkarim restored Barcelona’s lead by finishing Adeyemi’s cross, but the match continued to shift as Yamal came off the bench to score from the penalty spot after Jules Koundé was fouled. Basel responded with a penalty of their own, converted by Kazeem Olaigbe after a foul by Brian Fariñas, bringing the score to 4-2.
In addition to Yamal’s and Bisiwu’s contributions, Anthony Gordon made his first start for Barcelona after signing from Newcastle United for €70 million this summer. Fellow World Cup winners Dani Olmo and Pau Cubarsí also featured for the first time in preseason.
Barcelona now prepares for their upcoming Joan Gamper Trophy match against Al Ahly on Wednesday, which will serve as their final friendly before initiating their La Liga title defense against Elche on August 23. Basel, meanwhile, has already begun their campaign in the Swiss Super League, fielding a heavily rotated lineup in this encounter.
Special Credits: Image Courtesy of Espn
